Health and well-being to be at the heart of Northstowe

A partnership between CUH, the Homes and Community Agency and South Cambridgeshire District Council is one of only 10 winners announced today in an innovation programme putting health at the heart of new neighbourhoods and towns.

Through NHS England’s Healthy New Towns initiative, supported by Public Health England, CUH, SCDC and HCA have won support to develop plans for health to be ‘designed in’ to Northstowe from the beginning.

Over the next 20 years Northstowe will become a community of 10,000 new homes encompassing everything a vibrant community needs, including a new town centre with shops, businesses, schools and other facilities. The focus on health and well-being will mean doctors’ surgeries, sports facilities, parks and play areas are integrated into the community. It will also be designed to encourage people to walk or bike to school, work and around the town.

Northstowe will serve as an exemplar of what is possible and best practice could be applied to future strategic growth locations.

Lawrence Ashelford, director of strategy, policy and planning at CUH, said: “We are delighted that our bid to make Northstowe a community where health and wellbeing is intertwined with the design of housing, infrastructure and facilities has been successful.

“Cambridgeshire has an expanding population as well as a growing ageing population. We now have a fantastic double opportunity to work with our partners to improve the health of the people of Cambridgeshire.

“Northstowe will be a community which encourages healthy living, helping to prevent future health problems like obesity. It will provide accommodation and facilities that cater for the growing numbers of frail elderly people, many of whom suffer dementia and other cognitive problems, helping them to live independently for longer and allowing their medical conditions to be treated in the local community.”

Paul Kitson Head of Northstowe at the HCA said: “This is an exciting time for Northstowe with development having started already on phase one by Gallagher and our programme of work for phase two on track to start soon. I look forward to working with the partners and the community on this new initiative.”

Cllr Tim Wotherspoon, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “This successful bid cements what we are trying to achieve at Northstowe, which has been designed from the outset as a town for healthy living. The town will have an excellent network of cycleways, sports facilities and give people every opportunity to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. This project gives us the opportunity to explore new and innovative ideas with the housebuilders and academics involved to help people live independently in their own homes for longer and reduce the need for people to go into hospital or care.”